Page 61 of His Smile
"I took her phonebefore they could," her whisper lowered almost to an inaudible level, butboth men heard her. "She is in big trouble. Mom and dad won't let herleave, they took her keys, and they're all in the room yelling. I think…I thinkshe is crying."
The feeling of dread ebbedaway replaced by the familiar thumping in his veins as adrenaline and angertook over.
“Safina, darling,” he saidwith a smile. “Do me a favor and unlock the front door for me.”
Chapter 21
"What are you doing? Give me back my purse!"Rahina demanded.
Her mother, who had snatched the wristlet purse off herwrist with an angry swipe handed Rahina’s purse to Amit who then handed it to aguilty looking Riaz who was standing by the living room doors.
“You will sit down and be quiet.” Her mother’s lashing tonewas one Rahina hand not heard since high school, which instantly clawed at herpride.
What the hell was this? She finally decided to come see herparents after avoiding their calls for nearly a week now, and as soon as shewalked through the door, she was surrounded. Standing in front of thefireplace, her parents, both average heights, stood with their arms crossedstaring at her like two heavenly judges sent to condemn her to purgatory.
“Excuse me,” Rahina’s eyes narrowed at her mother, she wasno longer a child nor did she live under their roof she refused to toleratethis insane behavior. “Just what the hell is going on here, and why is hehere?” she pointed to Dev who stood near the end of the couch.
Dressed in a pair of pressed jeans and an expensiveembroidered emerald green button-down shirt, Dev gave her a considerate look ashe stepped forward. “I’m sorry Rahina, but I felt it was necessary to tell yourparents…”
“Oh, I see,” she nodded, finally understanding. “This issome sort of intervention,” she gestured to all of them as she looked aroundthe room, her eyes stopping with quiet fury at Rubina who stood at the doorholding each elbow. It was probably the first time in a long time she had seenher sister looking so uncomfortably guilty. Rahina could see the silent look ofpleading understanding in her sister’s face, but Rahina refused to acknowledgeit, turning her back to her sister Rahina looked back at her parents.
“Dev tells us you are seeing Roman Mashir,” her fathersputtered. “Tell me he is wrong Rahina, tell me you have not done something sofoolish?”
“Why is it foolish dad, you were the one who introduced meto him, remember?”
Her mother shot her father a sharp look to which he ignored,running his hand over his thick black mustache in agitation, her father beganto pace, working up a tirade of argument.
“Besides,” Rahina continued, crossing her own arms andsettling her weight to one hip. “I have no reason to lie, yes, just as I toldDev,” she threw the pathetic man a withering look. “I am seeing Roman.”
"Are you an idiot?" Amit yelled, stepping up toher to join the barricade against her, along with her parents. “You do know heis extremely dangerous?”
Not appreciating his patronizing tone, she turned andmatched her brother’s scornful look with one of her own head on. “And? I don’tcare, I like being with him, he treats me wonderfully.”
“I just bet he does,” Amit snarled. “So, all the man has todo is buy you a car and some nice things and you will forget that he is acold-blooded murderer.”
“A murderer, you and dad work for!" she reminded with ayell. Was she the only one hearing the blatant hypocrisy right now?
"Please, just calm down." Out of the corner of hereye, she could see Riaz, who was standing by the door next to Rubina, stepcloser to the back of the couch holding both hands up placatingly.
“This is ridiculous, I’m leaving,” Rahina said shaking herhead, this conversation was going nowhere. “Give me my purse, Riaz,” she demanded,extending her hand.
“You will sit down,” her mother’s hand shot out and grabbedher shoulder and pushed her to sit. “You will not leave this house until youagree to end this relationship with that man!”
Enraged, Rahina stood back up from the couch to push pasther mother and Amit. Stepping further in her path, Amit grabbed her by theshoulders and pushed her so hard, Rahina fell back with a scream onto thecouch. She heard her father’s reactionary hiss under his breath at Amit, but hemade no move to intervene.
“Amit!” Rubina cried from the door. “That isn’t necessary.”
Shocked, Rahina looked up to Amit with terrified confusion.A brief flicker of his own surprise flashed in his eyes before he quicklymasked it with anger again.
As her father turned to her, Rahina watched with wellingtears as her mother looked beyond her towards the door giving Riaz and Rubina awrathful look before shooing them off with a wave of her hand. Stunned, Rahinaturned and watched as Riaz pulled her reluctant sister through the door beforeshutting it behind them.
“You do not know who this man is Rahina, or what he iscapable of,” Dev continued, coming closer to her.
"I do know," she said, wiping her tears, glaringat the man. "And I know I would rather be with him."
For the first time in her association with Dev, she watchedas visible fury settled onto his handsome face. Turning away, she looked at theempty fireplace past her parents’ feet, refusing to look at any of them anylonger. She did not want to talk to them, she wanted to simply wait out theiranger and snatch her purse from Riaz and go home, but a thought struck her.
“So, what now?” she looked up to them tiredly. “Is thiswhere you try to force me to marryhim?” she didn’t bother looking atDev as she jacked a thumb in his direction.
